BREAKING: Abbas to Go to Security Council

President Abbas announces his plans today in Ramallah.(Abbas Momani/AFP/Getty Images)

In a speech in Ramallah several minutes ago, Palestinian Authority President Abbas pledged that he would seek full statehood at the U.N. Security Council, where President Obama has vowed to use the U.S. veto to defeat such a resolution. The state proposed, he said, would have the pre-1967 borders and a capital in East Jerusalem. This contradicts the terms for negotiation laid out in May by Obama, which were predicated on the ’67 lines but involved land-swaps, and excluded Jerusalem altogether. It also fundamentally contradicts the U.S. position, which is that statehood should be attained only through direct talks with the Israelis. “What I will take to the U.N. will be the suffering and concerns of our people that have been taking place over 63 years living under the occupation,” Abbas said.

Who wins, who loses? It’s anyone’s guess right now. My instinct is to say this is actually a good thing for Prime Minister Netanyahu: it’s a much more stark step and therefore much easier to oppose than a watered-down, hardly-binding resolution in the General Assembly. It is not, however, what the U.S. was hoping for—it wants no resolutions at all—and is arguably less preferable to the U.S. than a G.A. resolution, in that it forces the U.S. to use its veto. Expect the U.S. now to concentrate on bringing other members of the Security Council onboard, which—again, because it’s a more drastic step—could be easier. Of the 14 other current Security Council members, Germany could almost certainly be brought around, and the U.S.’s fellow veto-wielders Britain and France might be amenable as well. After that, it’s Bosnia and Herzegovina; Brazil; Colombia; Gabon; India; Lebanon; Nigeria; Portugal; and South Africa. Only Colombia, heavily reliant as it is on U.S. support, seems like a possible “no” vote or abstainer. Keep in mind, however, that corralling those extra votes is purely optics and symbolism: even if the 14 other countries support it, the U.S. veto will automatically kill the resolution.

It’s worth recalling that the P.A. is one of only few parties close to the Mideast conflict that wants this. Israel and the U.S. are against. Hamas and Hezbollah are against (they see it as a compromise, as they want all the land). Jordan is against (the Hashemite monarch fears what this means for his substantial Palestinian population). The Palestinian diaspora is wary (they are getting less of a say, and this could arguably lead to the nullification of the right-of-return argument—although it won’t, because the U.S. will veto it).

The upside for Obama could come domestically. You can hit him for letting matters get to this point, but even the staunchest pro-Israel Republican will applaud him for exercising this veto, as they have already applauded him for promising to.

Finally, it’s not clear if this precludes a General Assembly vote: having failed in the Security Council, the Palestinians could then go to that venue, where the numbers and lack of vetos guarantee them a victory. You’ll want to pay attention next week.

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Note that Abbas talks here about “63 years living under the occupation.” That is, “the occupation” began in 1948, when Israel was created, not 1967, when it took over the West Bank following Nasser’s threats of a war of extermination. Even for this so-called Palestinian moderate, the real problem is Israel’s existence and not the disposition of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Marc Rsays:

September 16, 2011 - 1:53 pm

Amen, Martin. Amen.

Altersays:

September 16, 2011 - 7:28 pm

How much longer can Israel operate the world’s largest, barbed wire prison and blame the inmates for its continued existence?

Jacob.arnonsays:

September 16, 2011 - 8:24 pm

Come on Alter, since when do prisoners have rockets that they fire at will, are armed with all sorts of explosives and machine guns and say that they will commit genocide against Jews.

Not everything the Israelis do is right and they should have evacuated the West Bank a longtime ago but to blame them for protecting themselves against a bunch of fanatics is to see only one third of the story.

The barbed wire is what saves the lives of thousands of children.

tillkansays:

September 16, 2011 - 11:58 pm

Oh please, anytime there is a ceasefire Israel kills some Palestinians. Israel can get the rockets to stop anytime it wants to by obeying a ceasefire.

Jehudah Ben-Israelsays:

September 17, 2011 - 9:17 am

Let us consider the following:

1917, Balfour Declaration

1920, San Remo Conference deccisions

1922, League of Nations decisions

1937, Peel Commission proposal

1947, United Nations proposal

1948, Israel’s offer

1967, Israel’s offer

1978, Begin/Saadat offer

2000, Barak/Clinton offer

2005, Israel’s Sharon’s opportunity

2008, Olmert/Bush offer

The common denominator to all of the above declarations, decisions and proposals is the fact that generous peace was offered to the Arabs of Eretz Israel (Land of Israel), only to be rejected, one after the other, by them.

And, when, between the years 1948 and 1967 the entire territory they now claim for an independent state was under total Arab rule and “cleansed” of its former Jewish residents, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Abbas’s organization, was set up, 1964, three full years before Israel captured the territory in a purely defensive war. What part of “Palestine” was this organization to “liberate…??

A clue: To this day the PLO, categorically, refuses to accept Israel’s right to be, to exist as the independent nation-state of the Jewish people, and it refuses to accept a peace treaty, if an when signed, as the end of the conflict and the end of all future demands….!!

P.S. No wonder, they refuse to come to the negotiating table, invited by the present Israeli government, without any preconditions, since they know full well that at the end of the talks they will be asked to accept Israel’s legitimacy and the end of the conflict.

Jehudah Ben-Israelsays:

September 17, 2011 - 9:19 am

P.S. Nearly every rejection, incidentally, was not only verbal as would be expected in the normal discourse of diplomacy, but was also accompanied by a campaign of terror against the civilian Jewish population of the country, something that has amounted to a war-of-attrition-through-terror that commenced with the pogrom of 1920, Jerusalem, during the Nabi Moussah ceremonies, and continued to this day.

Jacob.arnonsays:

September 17, 2011 - 7:06 pm

Tillkan “Oh please, anytime there is a ceasefire Israel kills some Palestinians. Israel can get the rockets to stop anytime it wants to by obeying a ceasefire.”

Can it? This is a Tillcan fantasy. Ever since Hamas took over Gaza they have been using it as a launching pad against Jewish civilians. They invaded Israel and kidnapped a soldier and now they are using the Sinai border to murder more Israeli civilians.

The idea that Hamas is an innocent by-standard is believed only by Islamicists and their Western allies among the ultra-left Jew haters like Tillkan.

Julessays:

September 18, 2011 - 4:14 am

The day on its arrival when the US in timid immoral deference to Israel vetoes Palestinian independence from Israel will be a day of bleak infamy. A weeping shock and horror to the entire world.

Even if the Palestinians will get their country, nothing will change. The whole hypocrite Muslim world will still use them for their interests.
We are in a very crucial point of the history in the Middle-East. Let’s all pray for secure and peaceful world. Enough with bloodshed !
Shana Tova

Julessays:

September 18, 2011 - 12:11 pm

Atrocious Fascists cannot make an appeal to a world with eyes wide open and have an authentic credibility, a free sovereign independent Palestinian state is just a just inevitability.

jacob arnonsays:

September 18, 2011 - 2:07 pm

It would be cowardly of the US to give in Arab pressure and blackmail.

The Palestinians are part of the Arab world and that world has been applying pressure on their brethren not to make peace with the Jews. Their stance has been immoral from the get go.

jacob arnonsays:

September 18, 2011 - 2:07 pm

There should be a Palestinian Arab State but it should come about through negotiations.

Julessays:

September 18, 2011 - 3:55 pm

Jacob, that is a disgusting and disingenuous statement that you made and you should feel deeply ashamed for having made it.

Deborah Harrissays:

September 18, 2011 - 5:33 pm

Occupation and suffering for 63! years? Where were the occupiers before 1967?? Somebody’s math isn’t so hot…

Clearly, the goal for Abbas is to gain more fodder for his misinformation campaign. It will give them something else to whine about. The Palestinians have consistently shown they don’t really care about statehood; what they care about is drumming up hatred for Israel.

As far as Obama goes, I won’t believe his veto until it is actually done. He has a nasty habit saying one thing to hide what he is really doing. Hmm. Sounds like the Palestinians. Not only should he veto this appeal for statehood, the U.N. shouldn’t even be considering it.

There are procedures for a reason. Reasonable people follow protocol in order for the rulings to be unilaterally fair. What am I talking about?! Since when are politicians ever reasonable?! H–l, we even have a candidate for President here who actually stated he’s not an intellectual. I guess Bush made stupid acceptable; as Forrest Gump says, “Stupid is, as Stupid does.” (here, from 2004-2009)

Have I offended anyone? Wake up, people, and truly look at what is going on, not just what people may say is going on. Thinking is mandatory in all matters, as the ability to do so is a gift from G-d. We were given brains to use them, not let them rot, become complacent, and turn our backs on the truths thoughtful reflection can unearth.

We must put a stop to those with disingenuous intentions (I’m being nice here). Hasn’t the world learned yet that selfishness and stupidity don’t work? Show me and everyone else in the world that the U.N. won’t put up with the antics of Abbas (again, being nice). I pray for peace, write about it, and do what I can to shine my light – which of course is the light of G-d in this world – to make it a better place. My prayer and wish is that everyone else does the same.

Julessays:

September 19, 2011 - 12:30 am

Israelis don’t have as much moral cowardice as American Jews but they’re catching up.

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